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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. last — to go on
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rush — hurry
  13. last — final
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. last — finally
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — the earth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — to handle

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com